Mobile shopping has come a long way over the past few years, with a reported 120 percent increase in shopping-related searches on smartphone and tablet devices, and many stores presenting a new kind of experience when it comes to finding and buying products online.

Google recently compiled a report that looks at five key factors that connect consumers with online stores and shops. Here’s how marketers can optimize the mobile shopping experience.

1. The “front door to the store” is vital
Target recently noted that three-quarters of its guests begin their shopping on mobile devices, while one-third of guests who engage in such a search eventually make a trip to the store to complete their purchase. Meanwhile, Sprint noted that one in four people who look up their mobile search ads also end up at a store. This could be key when it comes to introducing a new shopping experience, getting consumers comfortable with what’s offered before they make the journey.

2. Local information goes a long way
A lot of consumers prefer a local shopping experience compared to buying something from a national shop, as “near me” searches have increased nearly two and a half times year-over-year. A recent survey indicates that 50 percent of consumers who take part in a local search visit a nearby store within a day’s time, while 18 percent said searches eventually lead to a purchase. It’s another key factor in making a shopping experience more personal to a consumer.

3. If an item is in stock, consumers will go get it
Indicating the real-time stock of an item is a useful tool to a consumer. Usually, one in four people avoid stores merely because they’re unsure if an item is ready for pick-up. However, more companies have been taking advantage of Local Inventory Ads, which provides inventory across thousands of items. As a result, some retailers like Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores have seen a whopping 122 percent increase over store visits. Such ads have generated $8 in in-store sales for each dollar invested.

4. Smartphones do a lot of good with research
Eighty-two percent of shoppers indicated that they use their phones when it comes to purchases they’re making within a store, while only one in four shoppers stated that they’ve changed their minds while in a checkout line if they see additional details on their smartphone. Sephora, for example, has taken full advantage of in-store mobile behavior, offering consumers the option to scan products into its specialized mobile app to see product ratings, reviews and other details.

5. Omni-channel consumers tend to spend more
MasterCard recently reported that consumers who shop both offline and online with a particular retailer tend to buy 250 percent. Macy’s, for example, saw eight times more value from its omni-channel shoppers, rather than those that visit a single channel.

Mobile is changing shopper behavior in a big way, providing more information and emphasis when it comes to visiting a store and completing a purchase.

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